DC to Portland

[bjarvis]

We made it to Dulles Airport completely without incident.  I'm actually feeling pretty confident that I packed everything I required for the trip, including my materials for the IAGSDC delegates meeting, my laptop, camera & cables and so on.  Usually, I spend the last two hours before departure fretting about things I may have forgotten to pack, but that didn't happen this time.

In fact, we were at the gate so early that I had time to type up minutes from the last meeting of the DC Diamond Circulate committee, the group running the 2009 IAGSDC convention.  The meeting was actually June 8, but I've been so busy that I've allowed the preparation of the minutes to slide down my to-do list.  Needlessly as it turned out:  even in my copious and verbose style, the minutes took only 15 minutes to type, comprising a single page.

Our flight to Portland was actually comprised of two smaller flights:  Dulles to Denver, Denver to Portland.  The first leg was relatively easy and uneventful, although there was a slight delay in departure owing to a yellow light on the backup autopilot.  Slightly more significant for creature comforts, there was no running water on the plan so there was no coffee, tea or water with which to wash one's hands in the restrooms, although hand cleanser was made available.

We disembarked in Denver after arriving 10 minutes late, worried about dashing to meet our connection which was scheduled to take off in 30 minutes.  Once we were off the plane, we quickly realized that our connector was the same plane at the same gate we had just departed:  the flight numbers changed, we had a new crew and we were now in row 12 instead of 20, but it was the same plane with no running water.

We almost departed on time, but an elderly lady passed out in her seat a few rows behind us just as the main doors were being closed & sealed.  The flight attendants leapt into action, halted our departure and summoned the airport's EMTs.  After 15 minutes, the lady was stabilized but taken off the flight in a wheelchair.  On the good side, a really hot firefighter named Mark came on board at the last minute... woof!

Funny... after all these years flying with Kent, I always presumed he'd be the medical emergency which grounded our plane...  :-)

It's nice to see Kent's family again.  His brother & sister-in-law moved to the Portland area a year ago so we hadn't seen their new place.  His parents winter in Florida so we haven't seen them since they departed Maryland last October.  His sister & brother-in-law live in Cincinnatti... I can't recall when precisely we saw them last, but it was a long time back.

But most of all, I'm looking forward to seeing our Seattle hubbies, rlegtersand tdjohnsnagain.  It's been a month so I'm still in Ron & Troy withdrawal.  :-)

This morning, we're going out on the Wilamette River on a jet boat tour, then for ice cream. We'll decide on the rest of the day when the time comes.

Comments

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

hugs from me to the family, and tell the grandparents to expect some new pics soon!

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Will do!

[madknits.livejournal.com]

Why would Kent be a medical emergency?

Did you use your cell phone to take a picture of said woofy fireman????

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

You've not met Kent, have you? :)

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Kent has asthma, gluten intolerance and a wide range of allergies. Natural selection would normally have weeded out his genetics years ago, but modern medicine keeps him going. :-)

[cuyahogarvr.livejournal.com]

.... and I'm sure you're very grateful modern medicine has done its job, as are we all.... :> Glad to hear your journey was safe and relatively uneventful.

[tdjohnsn.livejournal.com]

We're looking forward to seeing you too.

(fyi: "Seeing" is a euphamism..." ;-)

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Mmmmmmm... :-)

[allanh.livejournal.com]

I'd happily give Kent mouth-to-mouth resuscitation ... or mouth-to-something, anyway. :)